Saw a group of Gray-crowned and Black Rosy-Finch around 3 pm today in Ward. They were perched atop a snag above a bird feeder at a house on the main drag, (a.k.a. Utica St., Indiana Gulch Road, or CO highway 95) a bit south of town, east side of the road. This house does not, unfortunately, have any address numerals attached to it. Here are some photos of birds and house. http://bit.ly/ZUNbXH
The rest of the story:
I drove up to the Fawn Brook Inn in Allenspark today to try to find Chuck Hundertmark's Common Redpolls. No luck, but saw 11 other species there, and chatted with David Waltman. We both agreed that it was too bad that Rosy-Finches have not been around the Fawn Brook Inn much in recent winters. I mentioned I have heard that Sandia Crest in New Mexico gets all three of them every winter, but of course, that is 510 miles from Allenspark. I said goodbye to David, then drove to Lily Lake, but saw only one bird, which was probably the same Rough-legged Hawk reported by Jim Nelson. Snow was falling on the frozen lake, very wintry compared to sunny Boulder. On my way back to Boulder I stopped at the usual hot spot in Ward, shown to me years ago by Bill Kaempfer. It is a dark brown, wood-sided house with a greenhouse on its south side. Deep in its side yard is a bird feeder. In the summer this is fairly reliable for Band-tailed Pigeon and in the winter for Pine Grosbeak and Evening Grosbeak. It is a rather awkward place to stop your car, almost no shoulder, so beware. Better to park east or west of the house and walk down the narrow shoulder to the house, but even that can be dangerous with highway bikes and cars, so please be careful. I stopped and admired about half a dozen Steller's Jays racing around, then happened to see all these placid, plump, pinkish birds in the snag above the feeder. Wow! Who needs Sandia Crest?
The owner of the house came out to take a walk. I have seen him before at his house, greeted him, and learned his name is Pete. I thanked him for feeding all his great birds year-round, told him it meant a lot to many birders who stop to look, and thanked him for putting up with our gawking from the highway. He said he had a birder from Germany stop recently. I asked him if he would accept a donation for bird seed. Pete said yes, so I gave him a $20. He said a woman from Greeley drops off bird seed to him now and then.
Regarding another generous bird feeder up there, Hermann and Mieke Goicher, owners of the Fawn Brook Inn, they are still in business and still feeding birds. I sent them an email about Chuck's Common Redpoll and Ted Floyd's recent blog about their hummingbird phenomenon. Here is their reply:
"Thanks so much for letting us know (about the Common Redpoll). Thanks also for the great article (by Ted)!
Hope you and many others will enjoy the feeders at our place this winter.
Have a great Thanksgiving.
Hermann and Mieke."
Me too, have a great Thanksgiving all!
Tom Wilberding
Boulder, CO
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